Arrests occurred on November 13th and 14th when police found people inside ripping out wiring and taking anything metal.

Clinton Police collect various pieces of metal from copper pipes to hammers as evidence in the theft case. Source: WLBT

56-year old Steven Hampton of Jackson, 35-year-old James Polk of Jackson , 35-year-old Krystal Rasnick and 40-year-old Joshua Shelton, both of Flora, are all charged with commercial burglary.

42-year-old Anita Cox of Jackson is charged with trespassing.

“It’s becoming more of an issue it seems. Scrap yards just aren’t strict enough it would appear,” said Sgt. Detective Nick Sprowles with the Clinton Police Department. “We’ve had issues in the past. This previous March we had an auto theft investigation where a stolen vehicle was taken off the interstate and were being taken straight to the scrap yards.”

Sprowles said most of those taken into custody were committing the thefts to support their drug habits.